Archive for April, 2009
2009 Encinitas Street Fair
April 22nd, 2009 Categories: Encinitas Real Estate
by Scott Murphy
Encinitas Street Fair
Encinitas, CA–The Encinitas Street Fair is an event enjoyed by tens of thousands, and the 26th annual Street Fair to be held this weekend (April 25 and 26) in Encinitas promises to be an all-time winner
Over 100,000 shoppers and visitors are expected to attend the Encinitas Street Fair event which will feature 450 arts and crafts vendors, four live stages, rides for children and the Stone Brewing Beer Garden. The event runs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. so bring your comfortable attire, leashed dog if you have one, and come spend the day wandering along Highway 101 between D and J Streets in Downtown Encinitas.
Plan to arrive early as parking will be difficult as the day goes on. For a Green alternative, consider taking the Coaster which will be running on Saturday and stops just outside the event.
I’ll be there with camera, catching candid shots of San Diego enjoying what promises to be a sun and fun-filled weekend.
Bring sun block, bottled water, camera and kids!
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San Diego a Top Destination for U-Haul
April 22nd, 2009 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Relocation
Relocation to San Diego
Carlsbad, CA–San Diego may not top the list as a destination for those moving 50 miles or more, but U-Haul reports that San Diego ranks #11 nationally and is the second most popular California destination. Los Angeles ranks #3, while Sacramento ranks #14, followed by San Francisco (18), Fullerton (30), Costa Mesa (31), San Jose (33), Long Beach (45), Fresno (46) and Santa Monica (50).
The study reflects moves made from January through December, 2008.
In studying the list below, it is interesting to note that California cities dominate U-Haul’s list of top destination cities, with a strong 20 percent share and 10 top cities. Texas ranks a distant second with 4 cities, while Florida and New York claim 3 each.
Why move to San Diego? Could be San Diego real estate bargains. Might be our great beaches and climate–or it might be all of these reasons.
U-Haul Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities* January - December 2008 1. ATLANTA, Ga. 26. PITTSBURGH, Pa. 2. HOUSTON, Texas 27. PHOENIX, Ariz. 3. LOS ANGELES, Calif. 28. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. 4. LAS VEGAS, Nev. 29. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. 5. DENVER, Colo. 30. FULLERTON, Calif. 6. PORTLAND, Ore. 31. COSTA MESA, Calif. 7. CHICAGO, Ill. 32. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 8. SAN ANTONIO, Texas 33. SAN JOSE, Calif. 9. AUSTIN, Texas 34. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. 10. ORLANDO, Fla. 35. ST. LOUIS, Mo. 11. SAN DIEGO, Calif. 36. QUEENS, N.Y. 12. KANSAS CITY, Mo. 37. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 13. PHILADELPHIA, Pa. 38. OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. 14. MIAMI, Fla. 39. TUCSON, Ariz. 15. SACRAMENTO, Calif. 40. TULSA, Okla. 16. BROOKLYN, N.Y. 41. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah 17. DALLAS, Texas 42. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. 18. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. 43. SPOKANE, Wash. 19. WASHINGTON, D.C. 44. BRONX, N.Y. 20. TAMPA, Fla. 45. LONG BEACH, Calif. 21. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. 46. FRESNO, Calif. 22. VAN NUYS, Calif. 47. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. 23. FORT WORTH, Texas 48. BALTIMORE, Md. 24. COLUMBUS, Ohio 49. SEATTLE, Wash. 25. CHRISMAN, Ill. 50. SANTA MONICA, Calif.
For additional information about moving or relocating to San Diego, please feel free to call San Diego Realtors Roberta or Mike Murphy at 877-818-8197
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Vacation Rentals: Hot Spot in San Diego Real Estate?
April 19th, 2009 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, La Jolla Real Estate, la costa real estate
Del Mar Beach
Carlsbad, CA–With the sour economy and drug-inspired violence and kidnappings in Mexico, more and more Americans are opting for vacations on home soil.
They like the clean beaches of Del Mar, La Jolla, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside. They love the lush golf courses at Torrey Pines, La Costa and Aviara. Then there’s the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, Museums and Legoland–to name just a few of San Diego County’s attractions.
In addition to our ongoing San Diego Real estate practice, we also manage vacation rentals and are seeing strong reservation activity in this segment of our business. Our oceanfront unit at Del Mar Beach Club stays booked almost all the time. San Diego vacationers from all over are stunned by the ocean views and love being so close to the Del Mar Race Track, local restaurants and and activities. The condos at the La Costa Chateaus are also staying booked most of the time–and we’ve just added another 2-bedroom Del Mar condo that will be available for summer bookings.
Friends with an oceanfront unit at Oceanside’s North Coast Village also report strong vacation rental activity.
Mike and I chat with a number of these visitors, and find that many return to San Diego each year and wouldn’t consider going any place else. Another group might have traditionally gone to Mexico or Europe for vacations, but have decided to play it safe and vacation in the United States instead. They are saving money–and their sense of security.
A number of local parents we know urged their college kids to take spring break at home in San Diego–and compromises were reached with trips to Palm Springs, Big Bear, Mammoth–or cruises where partying could be contained.
None went to Mexico this year–nor will they until Mexican drug violence and kidnappings are under control.
In the meantime, the vacation rental niche in the San Diego real estate market seems to be holding its own–if not actually thriving. This will be a segment of the market to watch in the coming months.
–by Roberta Murphy
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Trying to Find a San Diego Tea Party?
April 9th, 2009 Categories: Oceanside real estate, San Diego Activities, San Diego Real Estate
I have some unused tea bags (no green tea, but lots of fruity flavors) that I would happily donate to the various tea and tax protest parties taking place April 15 throughout San Diego County
These tea parties are being held throughout the United States, as a show of solidarity against…wasteful spending in the government (to be polite, if not politically correct).
The Tea Party we would most likely attend on April 15 would be the one taking place at the Oceanside Pier. To this event, I will donate two unopened boxes of Lipton’s Sun Tea bags.
To those attending tea parties in San Diego, Escondido, El Cajon or even Temecula I will happily donate tea bags and blends of different flavors.
And if you are wondering which San Diego Tea Party to attend–or to whom should you RSVP?
El Cajon Tea
When: April 15, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Where: Post Office – 401 W. Lexington Ave.
Map: Click Here
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 619-606-0337
Website: www.socaltaxrevoltcoalition.org
Facebook Group: Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition
Facebook Event: San Diego Tax Day Tea Party
Facebook Event: Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party in San Diego
Escondido Tea Party
When: April 15, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: 403 N. Escondido Blvd.
Map: Click Here
Contact: EMAIL
Oceanside Tea Party (North County Coastal San Diego)
When: April 15, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Map: Click Here
Where: Oceanside City Hall, 300 N. Coast Highway
We will march from the Civic Center to the pier at 6:45
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 760-622-1150
Website: www.stoptaxingus.com
Facebook Group: Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party in San Diego
San Diego Tea Parties
When: April 15, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Where: Post Office – Sports Arena Midway, 2535 Midway Dr.
Map: Click Here
When: April 15, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Where: Post Office – 11251 Rancho Carmel Dr
Map: Click Here
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 619-606-0337
Website: www.socaltaxrevoltcoalition.org
Facebook Group: Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition
Facebook Event: San Diego Tax Day Tea Party (on 4/11/09)
Facebook Event: Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party in San Diego
Temecula Tea Party
When: April 15, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: Temecula Duck Pond, Corner of Ynez and Rancho California Rd
Map: Click Here
Contact: EMAIL
Facebook Group: TEMECULA TEA PARTY (TAX REVOLT)
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San Diego Realtors Asked to Help Bust Real Estate Fraud
April 5th, 2009 Categories: Carlsbad Real Estate, Oceanside real estate, San Diego Foreclosures, San Diego News, San Diego Real Estate
It’s a sad fact of life, but unscrupulous vultures are always ready to pick at the flesh of the most financially distressed.
It is also refreshing to hear that San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis is asking San Diego Realtors to help her track down and prosecute real estate fraudsters operating in our county.
We have written before about the foreclosure and loan modification scams that prey upon distressed San Diego home owners who are struggling to stay in their homes. The DA’s office is aggressively trying to warn homeowners to stay away from these San Diego real estate crooks and their fraudulent offers of mortgage and loan modification assistance–and is asking us, as San Diego Realtors, to report any suspicious activity.
All too often, unwitting and desperate home owners will pay an upfront fee to a person or company who promises to prevent foreclosure–or to modify existing mortgage loan terms. And all too often, people are paying for services they never receive–and might be better off with a do-it-yourself loan modification.
San Diego real estate agents are also advised to be wary of “sanctuary” scams, where these real estate vultures claim ownership of vacant or foreclosed homes via the filing of phony (but official-looking) grant deeds with the County Recorder’s Office. And even though these documents don’t actually transfer title, they do cloud ownership and create havoc with the law enforcement agencies.
In California, it is illegal for foreclosure consultants to acquire distressed real estate from their clients, and it is also illegal for California real estate licensees to charge upfront fees for loan modification services without first meeting strict requirements laid out by the California Derpartment of Real Estate.
Michael Groch, chief of the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Division, is asking San Diego Realtors and citizens to report all potential real estate scams to his office. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office can be reached online or at (619) 531-4475.
If you are interested in a short sale for your San Diego home, or other loan modification resources, feel free to call Mike or Roberta Murphy (877)818-8197 or 760-402-9101/9102.
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